The preparation of a beverage by a capsule containing beverage ingredients is known. In general, the capsule is inserted in a beverage production device, such as a coffee machine, liquid is fed in the capsule and a beverage is extracted from the capsule under pressure or by gravity.
The term “capsule” refers to any flexible, rigid or semi-rigid container containing beverage ingredients. Other synonymous to a capsule are: “pod”, “pad”, “cartridge” or “sachet”. The capsule can be single use. The container can also be filled with ingredients by the user to form the capsule just before use.
The term “ingredients” means any suitable beverage substance such as ground coffee, soluble coffee, leaf tea, soluble tea, herbal tea, dairy powder, culinary powder, baby food and combination thereof.
The term “beverage device” means a device for preparing a beverage by means of a capsule.
In general, the capsule is inserted in an open brewing unit of the device. For example, in EP1090574, the device comprises a jaw mechanism with a lower part for receiving the capsule and an upper part for closing on the lower part. The lower and upper parts are mounted around a fixed pivot which is sufficiently distant from the two parts so that a sufficient large opening is provided, upon the upper part pivoting around the lower part, to enable a capsule to be placed between the two parts in the open position. The closure is obtained by a lever pivotally mounted on the upper part and associated to a knee joint mechanism with the lower part. The stable closure of the two parts around the capsule is obtained by actuating the lever and the knee joint mechanism until a stable closed position of the knee joint is reached. A problem is that such closure is not precise enough due to the long distance between the fixed pivot point and the closure area. This results in a risk of misalignment between the upper part and the lower part; such risk increasing as the device starts aging and its pieces wearing.
In patent EP1906797B1, the beverage device comprises a lid mount with a rotating lock plate with cams which slide in a recessed of the lid mount to latch the lid mount to a head bottom. The lock plate is moved by a gear mechanism driven by a lever attached to the lid mount. Such mechanism also lacks precision in the axial direction of closure since the lock plate moves along the transversal direction from unlatch to latch positions. In addition, such device is not adapted to perforate the capsule for providing liquid inlet(s) and/or beverage outlet(s). A similar system is described in patent EP1551263.
Patent EP1937117B1 relates to an espresso coffee machine comprising a filter holder means for holding a capsule comprising a closing flap hinged at one end with the supply unit of the machine and comprising a releasable engaging means at its opposite end suitable for engagement with engaging means provided on the wall of the body and a capsule hook-type ejector which cooperates with the edge of the capsule to eject it upon separation of the filter holder means from the supply unit. Again, such device lacks precision in closure of the closing flap onto the supply unit. The closure stress is essentially born by the hinge which will affect the reliability overtime. Furthermore, a high manual force is needed to close the device. Such device is therefore not adapted for perforating liquid inlet(s) and/or beverage outlet(s) through the capsule.
EP1209997B1 relates to a beverage machine comprising a brewing head which has an upper part pivotally mounted to a lower part; the upper part being latched to the lower part by a front latch and the upper part comprising a rotably mounted inner cover for self-adjusting axially to the filter holder in the lower part. This mechanism is typically intended for receiving filter pods for which the precision of the closure is not critical and for which the closure forces are relatively weak.
EP2210539 relates to a device and system for preparing a beverage using brewing centrifugal force. The device comprises a capsule holder assembly with a holder having a trunconical housing in which the capsule is inserted. The holder is mounted along an axis of rotation I by a ball bearing. An injection lid assembly is provided with an internal lid which can be mounted on a fixed support part of the lid assembly in a pivotable manner along the axis I when the device is closed. A problem lies in that due to the pivotable mounting of the injection lid on the fixed support part, a misalignment of the rotational axis of the lid with the rotational axis of the holder may occur; especially, when the pivot is submitted to repeated closure cycles and endures high stresses.
Therefore, there is a need for a beverage device which provides a better precision of the closure between the parts encasing the capsule. There is also a need for providing a more robust system, in particular, with lower stresses applied on the distanced pivot means. There is also a need for a more secured closure with potentially higher closure forces. There is also a need for an easy and convenient closure. In particular, there is also a need for an efficient closure system for a device more particularly designed for centrifugal beverage extraction using rotational brewing parts with a shortened and controlled tolerance chain and an improved alignment of these rotational brewing parts during and after closure.
The present invention provides a beverage device that responds to one or more of these needs.